I'm going to Philadelphia for 4 days and am trying to plan beer bar/brewery stops. I've been told that The Foodery and Monks are must-sees. Any other suggestions?

Chris

Yes. My favorite is the Standard Tap. It is in a 100 year old building in the Northern Liberties neighborhood. Their focus is on local micros and locally sourced food. There's a deli next door where you can buy bottles to go.Not far from Monk's downtown is Nodding Head, which has very good and very interesting beers. They have a Berlinner Weisse on tap most of the year.Philly is a greeat beer town. Sign up for Philly Beer Week news feeds.

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Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)Homebrewing since 1990AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member BJCP judge since 1995

I'd recommend the General Lafayette Inn in Lafayette Hill, I've been there several times and have been impressed each time. You could, of course, go to Victory in Downingtown. Gogo Golden Monkey! Yards brewing company is solid, too. Dogfish head isn't far either, it'd only be about a 2 hour drive. (That's where my wife and I will be going for our belated honeymoon next month!)

You can go for the muscles, but I'll stick with the mussels. Great place. They had a lot of the Lost Abbey beers there as well, if you haven't had those before.

+1 on Nodding Head, if for no other reason than to try a good Berliner Weisse. Try it plain before getting the syrup.

Philly Beer Week is off the hook. I was stunned by the events they had.

And get a cheesesteak at Tony Luke's. Skip Pat and Genos. Those are for tourists.

Or a roast pork sandwich at the Reading Terminal Market.If you're staying downtown, there are lots more places with great food and beer. Triumph is one, Eulogy is another Belgian pub. Farther from town (north east) is Kraftwerks and Memphis Tap House. You just can't go wrong.

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Jeff Gladish, Tampa (989.3, 175.1 Apparent Rennarian)Homebrewing since 1990AHA member since 1991, now a lifetime member BJCP judge since 1995

Are you staying around downtown or all over? If its just downtown i can fill you in so get your printer ready...

Beer Bars:1. Definitely Monks just cuz, best Belgian beer bar in the city2. Devils' Den - One of the great, not as well known bars3. Def on the South Philly Tap Room - Great Food4. P.O.P.E - A Philly Tradition5. Irish Pol (Old City) - 40+ Taps6. Brauhaus Schmidt’s - Authentic German Beer Bar7. McGillin’s Old Ale House - Don't go there late at night. it gets pretty crowded8. All over Northern Liberty/Fishtown Area, You could literally spend a Day (KraftWork +25 Taps, North Bowl, PYT, Bar Ferdinand, Abbey, Standard Tap, and North 3rd...)9. Fairmount Area - Urban Saloon (across from the old Penitentiary - Awesome Sports/Beer Bar. Burgers and Tots (Yes, I Said Tots) are awesome, Bishop's Collar, Jacks Firehouse, Johnny Brenda’s 10. Fork and Barrel - And AWESOME new Euro Beer Bar. It’s about 10-15 minutes from downtown but well worth it. Totally lit by candles, firkins on every day, and a crap load of hard to get drafts and bottles11. Phillies Game If you can catch one, they have a bunch (60+) Crafts on tap.

Breweries/Brew Pubs1. Nodding Head - +1 on the Berliner Weiss (Kind of a small place but good food, While you're there 2 blocks away in Home Sweet Home Brew, a HBS, George literally helped Sam of DFH get off the ground)2. Triumph - Fun scene, on Saturdays they have pretty good Indie bands3. Yards Brewery - They close like around 5 or so, so get your day drinking on4. Dock Street - Grab a brick oven slice

Food :Lunch/Snack - Redding Terminal Market (Anything there, but the roast beef sandwich in key+1 On Tony Luke's but they're better known for the roast pork with provolone and broccoli rabeWith all due respect, I wouldn't diss the Pat's/Geno's route, it’s a bit touristy, but hey, you’re a tourist and it’s still pretty good.

Dinner - Sonata in Northern Liberties (It’s a BYO, but the Foodery is nearby so you can pick up a few bottles before heading over)

Hope that helps. Obviously there are a million other places, but these are just a few that I have been to personally. If you want anymore suggestions if you are going to be in any other areas feel free to ask I don't mind helping out a fellow beer lover.

What a great list. I'll have to save that. I spent 9 months working in Philly and only got to about a third of those places. But I was only a 10 minute walk from Monk's, so that usually had something to do with it.

At Tony Luke's, I did have the broccoli rabe and aged provolone cheesesteak (I think they called it an 'Italian'). I saw the place on Throwdown on the food network. That was the steak that kicked Bobby Flay's ass. And yes, it was great. Didn't try the roast pork. Another reason to return... The Pat & Geno thing just seems a bit contrived to me. All the "order it this way or we'll curse at you" just seems hokey. Honestly, I think I got as good a cheesesteak as theirs from the food truck outside the Comcast building. It was good, but the Tony Luke steak was amazing.

I don't know what's about it, but even a so-so steak in Philly seems to beat what is called "Philly Cheesesteak" in any other city. I've stopped trying to get them elsewhere. Just not worth it.

+1 to The Reading Terminal Market as they have an awesome Jewish deli and various other eats as well. The cheesesteak possibilities are numerous. Tony Lukes or Capo's Deli both rock! If you're into baseball Citizen's Bank Park is a fabulous place, plus you can check out the Fightin' Phils.